No need to approach WB or IMF, says FBR union

Assures TRC that board can generate amount equal to federal budget.

KARACHI: In response to the newly constituted Tax Reform Commission (TRC) approved by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in September 2014, the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) union has assured that the tax machinery was capable of generating the amount equal to the federal budget alone.

Resultantly, there will be no need to approach the World Bank or International Monetary Fund for financial assistance. In its proposals sent to the commission, the union stated that the FBR already contributes around 70% to the total budget of Pakistan despite non-recovery of billions of rupees of income tax, sales tax and customs duty due to influential politicians and bureaucracy.

Moreover, the tax department can generate revenues equal to the total volume of federal budget through the imposition of wealth tax and implementation of agricultural tax, which were debated but never implemented.

The union recommended taking action against corrupt officers responsible for the embezzlement of around Rs300 billion annually by the so-called non-resident companies.

The low salaried staff cannot recover billions of rupees without any incentive. FBR Union President Abdul Qayum, in the letter, demanded 10% commission for those employees deputed on the recovery task along the lines of the banking sector that also offers a 10% share to its staff. The FBR union also condemned the role of the finance and establishment divisions and urged the government to set the FBR free from their clutches.

Qayum lamented that the board does not spend even one percent of the total revenues collected by its own staff.

“We do not have a housing society, transportation services, no medical complex as the finance division always creates hurdles in the way of the FBR authorities to facilitate lower staff,” said the proposal.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 11^th, 2014.

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